Bueckers helps shorthanded UConn advance
Paige Bueckers scored 24 points to lead third-seeded UConn and its injury-depleted roster back to the Elite Eight of the women's NCAA Tournament with a 53-45 victory over No. 7 seed Duke on Saturday night in Portland, Ore.
A year after having to watch March Madness while sidelined by a knee injury, Bueckers was again the best player on the floor, lifting the Huskies into their 28th regional final. And this one will be among the more unlikely in coach Geno Auriemma’s 39-year tenure.
UConn dressed eight players and played only six. But it still has Bueckers, the 2021 national player of the year who has returned to that form after injuries limited or sidelined her for most of the past two seasons.
The Huskies' victory set up the matchup fans had anticipated since the brackets were released — top seed Southern California against the Huskies on Monday night, with Bueckers squaring off against fabulous freshman JuJu Watkins. The 18year-old Watkins had 30 points in USC’s 74-70 win over Baylor in the other Portland 3 Region semifinal.
Aaliyah Edwards and KK Arnold each scored 12 points for the Huskies, who scored their second-fewest points in a March Madness victory.
Oluchi Okananwa, who played at Peabody High and Worcester Academy, led Duke (22-12) with 15 points and Reigan Richardson added 10, but the Blue Devils disappeared offensively. They scored 13 firsthalf points and had 27 going into the fourth quarter.
Bueckers had a role in causing the offensive issues for Duke, but it was a collective effort that kept Richardson from getting hot like she did while scoring 28 points in the upset of Ohio State.
The Blue Devils had just 11 baskets through three quarters. Duke trailed by as many as 20 late in the third but made a massive run in the closing minutes. Okananwa’s 3-point play with 4:46 left cut the deficit to 10. She added a 3-pointer with 1:59 left to get Duke within 5, but the Blue Devils got no closer despite a couple of UConn turnovers and a handful of good looks for Duke around the basket.
Historic win for USC
Watkins drove the length of the floor for a go-ahead 3-point play with 3:13 left and finished with 30 points, leading Southern California past Baylor, 7470, in the Portland, Ore. Regional and into the Elite Eight for the first time in 30 years.
Watkins scored 9 straight points in the closing minutes and powered a decisive 8-0 run. McKenzie Forbes added 14 points for USC (29-5).
Sarah Andrews scored 17 points for Baylor (26-8), which was making its 20th straight March Madness appearance and was vying for its first Elite Eight spot since 2021. The Trojans led by 11 points in the opening half, but Baylor closed the gap in the third quarter and moved in front, 50-49, on Andrews’ 3-pointer. Jada Walker hit consecutive baskets to give the Bears a 57-53 lead going into the fourth. USC regained the lead, 59-57, on Forbes’ 3-pointer with 9:08 left.
Jada Walker’s jumper gave Baylor a 62-59 lead with 4:51 left in regulation. Watkins’s fastbreak layup and subsequent free throw put the Trojans ahead to stay, 67-64.
Clark, Iowa power on
Caitlin Clark had 29 points and 15 assists to lead top-seeded Iowa to an 89-68 win over fifth-seeded Colorado, setting up a rematch of last year’s national title game against LSU in the Albany, N.Y., Regional final. The teams will play Monday night for a berth in the Final Four in Cleveland.
Clark got the Hawkeyes (32-4) going early, driving to the basket for layups or throwing fantastic passes. She threaded the needle with a bounce pass to Hannah Stuelke for a layup before the end of the first quarter that gave the Hawkeyes a 22-14 lead.
Clark had 6 points, 6 assists, and 3 rebounds in the opening 10 minutes.
She finished the first half with 15 points and eight assists as the Hawkeyes were up, 4835, at the break.
Iowa scored the first 6 points of the third quarter and Colorado (24-10) could not get within single digits the rest of the way. Sydney Affolter scored 15 points for Iowa, going 6 for 5 from the floor. Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall had 14 points apiece. Aaronette Vonleh scored 13 points and Frida Formann had 12 for the Buffaloes.
Tigers stay on course
Flau’jae Johnson had 24 points and 12 rebounds, Angel Reese put up her 26th doubledouble of the season, and No. 3 LSU beat No. 2 UCLA, 78-69, in a Sweet 16 matchup in Albany, N.Y., to continue its quest for a second straight NCAA title.
Reese had 16 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out late in the game for the Tigers (31-5), who closed the game on a 14-2 run. Aneesah Morrow had 17 points and Mikaylah Williams added 12.
Lauren Betts had 14 points and 17 rebounds for UCLA (27-7), and Londynn Jones and Gabriela Jaquez also had 14 points apiece and Kiki Rice scored 13.
The game was played hours after the Washington Post released a much-anticipated story about LSU coach Kim Mulkey, over which she had threatened legal action, warning it would be a “hit piece.” Instead, it was a profile highlighting both positive and negative aspects of her career, and describing her as a colorful personality who “wears feathers almost as dramatically as she ruffles them.”
After the game, Mulkey said she likely would not read the article but questioned the timing of its release just before her team arrived at the arena.